Most of my postings are serious, deep and heavy Bible stuff. If you are looking for some watered down and entertaining christian readings you may find these messages controversial, sensitive and even offensive. It is unlikely that you would hear this type of messages in the comtemporary Local Church because these are not "itching ears" messages (1 Tim 4:3,4). My readers should emulate the Bereans (Acts 17:11) as they read. All critics are welcome.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

The Unction of the Holy One

Too often we settle for substitutes in our Christian lives rather than what God wants to bring forth inside of each one of us. We settle for just meeting together in Sunday/Saturday night Church Service, in Cell-group meeting and in prayer meeting. At the same time many of us take pride in what we are doing - put in our predetermined, daily allotment of time to read the Word and have a set time for personal prayer. This seems to be a good Christian practice. But many Christians don't even do that. For those of us who do that, it is not really enough. Instead of just being willing to spend the accepted amount of time necessary in order to survive spiritually, each one of us should be heading straight into the eye of the very storm, itself. We should be aggressively heading into human needs, into breakthroughs in the spirit world and into reclaiming the very things that people have lost in God.

It is impossible to just maintain a status quo as a Christian. Satan will never let you and neither will the Holy Spirit. You must either move forwards in God or slide backwards in Satan, there is no standing still. As Christians, we must be on the move for there is an anointing from heaven, the unction of the Holy One, that must be carried forward to those in need. If you try to stand still with it, you will either lose it through carelessness or Satan will knock it from your hands.

Every Christian needs the Unction of God

Every one of us is expected to carry the unction of God to the world around us. This unction of God comes as the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This unction will bring miracles, heal sickness, dissolve burdens, mend broken hearts, heal marriages and restore families and relationships. The unction of God represents Jesus in our midst and it will do all that Jesus had done and would do. But there is a price to be paid to participate in the ministry of this divine unction. The religious "pew-warmers" calling spiritual plays from the sideline will never have it. No one will have it unless they get on their knees in faith, armed with a full knowledge of the Word that is strengthened daily through studying the Bible, and diligently seek God for it.

We are not part of this world; we are only enduring it as we are on our way home from earth to heaven. Evey step that we move closer to Jesus and every time we press in until we recieve the Unction of God, we have just cut another rope tied to the moorings of this earth and we are released to be a little freer from the limitation of our flesh.

One Spirit, one Body and one Spiritual force

As the unction of God heals the breaches that are between men and women in the body of Christ, we will become one Spirit, one Body and on Spiritual force moving upon the face of the earth to bring forth the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ. A true Body of believers that knows how to move with the Spirit of God is the only answer to the dilemma of world today and aches of the human heart.

John said: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, you know all things" (1 John 2:20, NKJV).

Paul said: "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Cor. 1:21, 22, NIV, emphasis added).

If you are a born-again believer, God did three things for you - He anointed you; He put His ownership seal on you and He put His Spirit in your heart as a deposit. This deposit is a guarantee that He will provide you a place in eternity with Him, as well as with Him on earth here as a child of God. This anointing of the Holy Spirit (or unction of God) has been commissioned to be constantly with you wherever you go. If you seem to be having a lot of trouble in your life, perhaps you need to check your obedience to the Holy Spirit within you as He guides and checks your "goings."

Spiritual Breakthroughs

We live in two worlds - the natural world that we taste, touch, smell, see and hear every day; and the spiritual world. These two worlds parallel each other in certain ways. Whenever there are great strides forward in the natural world, we can expect an increase in the spirit world as well. But, just as it takes sacrifice and pain to bring about breakthroughs in the natural world, it takes the same to bring about breakthroughs in the spirit world. In any quest to conquer new territory in the spirit world, we know that there will be things to overcome. And to overcome the work of the evil one, we need to carry the unction of God with us in spiritual warfare. We must remember that only through Christ we have consistent victory.

Taking the Unction to the people

We, as Christians need to take the unction of God to the hurting people of our generation. We hold the keys to the destiny of the lives of this generation. The wounded spirits, the drunkenness of the world, the broken homes, the alienated children, the alcoholism, the drug and unnatural affection can basically all be laid right on the doorstep of Christianity. Why? Because too many Christians in the Church have not gone far enough! The majority of the Church has stopped halfway through its purpose and failed the rest of the world.

You can make the choice of stopping halfway or of going on all the way. You can be stopped by somebody's criticism. You can be stopped by another's philosophy. You can be hindered by someone's thinking or doctrine. You can be stopped by a bad experience in a Church or with a pastor or a Church leader. Or, you can get into the real life stream of God for yourself and walk straight into the face of the storm, fully able to stand stolid and firm under any circumstance, any misunderstanding, any attack or any problem. When you have the unction of the Holy One, you have enough faith and authority on the Name of Jesus Christ to break every bondage and every obstacle tha tries to get in your way.

We, as Christian are not here to build an "organization" or a "private club." We are here to build lives that can stand up to the challenge of these last days. We are here to meet the tragedies of the hour and the heartbreaks of the day that are holding our generation in bondage.

Regardless of the seemingly impossible state of the world today, God is still totally in control. Your present state and your future are determined by what you do with God and His Word, not by circumstances of the world around you.

There is no substitute for the unction when you are communication the Gospel. The unction is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not enthusiasm, it is not zeal, it is not thunderous voice and it is not excitement. Although those characteristics may be present when the unction of God is flowing, don't mistake them for the unction. You need spiritual discernment to fully understand the unction of God. In general, unction brings tears to the eyes of the hearers. It brings changes in ideologies and breaks through the shells of tradition and deadness. It rejuvenates the Christians.

The Unction of God in Christian ministry

In Chrsitian ministry, the unction is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Unction separates the ministry unto God and qualifies it as His work. It is the one divine enablement by which the ministry can accomplish the peculiar and saving effects of preaching. Without unction, there are no spiritual results accomplished. Without unction, the results and the power in preaching do not rise above the results unsanctified speech making. In other words, without unction, a Gospel or evangelical service has no more lasting effect than a political rally!

An accomplished preacher or teacher can give you new thoughts, bring positive thinking and intrigue and entertain you. But, if the unction is not present and operating, then nothing will bring what God wants for you. Many preachers only feed the natural (old or carnal) man and not the Spirit man. The old man must not be fed; it must be mortified by the power and the work of the Word and the Spirit within us.

The unction can slice like a knife. It is like a two-edged sword, cutting on both sides, but healing and restoring as it cuts. It divides asunder soul and spirit, penetrating the deepest thoughts of our inner self.

The writer of Hebrews said: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper that any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividion of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discermer of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).

The unction brings conviction to the point that men and women either surrender to God or react passionately against the Word of God and quite often against the one who is bringing it as well.

How does the Unction come?

The divine truths of God that come forth under the unction of the Holy Spirit are of great value and importance, individually and collectively (the Church). This divine unction is generated through the Word by the Holy Spirit. Spiritual results flow through the Gospel as it is ministered, preached and spread under the unction of God.

There are many things that may appear as unction. Sometimes we think it is zeal or emotion or empathy and compassion. Sometimes we think it is present because there is great exitement or loudness. These things may occur when the unction is working, but they are no guarantee of its presence. These are emotional reactions that can be duplicated by Satan through carnality. The unction is totally unique and cannot be counterfeited by the enemy. Those who are carnal or in the flesh can be deceived into thinking the unction of God is working in a certain situation because of various characteristics that attempt ot counterfeit the moving of God. But, when you are walking within the light of the Holy Spirit and with a level of spiritual discernment, you will know whether the unction of God is present or not in a Church service.

A service without the unction of God may have emotional appeal, enthusiasm and different other manifestations, but there will be no spiritual breakthroughs. Those who came into the service will walk out with the same hurts and sorrows and needs they came in with.

When the unction of God is at work, everyone either walks out happier of angrier. They walk out with cleansing or with guilt. They walk out with anointing or with bitterness. But there will be a change when the unction has been operating; they will not remain the same as they come in. Either they will surrender to the anointing or they will refuse to come under it and they will reject what God is doing. You can never ignore the unction and the anointing. Something will change, either for the better or for the worse!

The Unction of God and the Gospel Message

The divine unction is a distinguishing feature that separates true Gospel preaching from any other method of presenting truth. It is what makes truth alive and penetrating; it illuminates and quickens the Word. It quickens the human intellect and enables it to better apprehend the Word.

Without the unction, the Gospel has no more power to propagate itself than any other system of teaching. Unction is the seal of divinity; it puts the power of God into the Gospel. Without unction, the Gospel is left to human intelligence to enforce doctrine and religious principles through natural means and concepts instead of bringing forth of life through the supernatural power of God.

Without the unction, man tries to build God's Kingdom with bondage by bringing men and women into a semblance of truth through legalism. This is what happens when the unction is lost. Legalism and bondage are the only ways left to try to control and direct the carnal nature of mankind. When legalism and bondage fail, then man tries to use the entertainment system to hold people. When that fail, we see the religious movements begin to move into areas of meditation, mind control and actual forms of occult teachings to hold their people. Every natural source of control and persuasion is used. This is the basis of the New Age Movement!

It is important to understand that unction cannot be produced by man's intellect and knowledge. It is something that can only come and flow through the spirit of a man or woman as the Spirit of God dwells deep within them. This is the "rivers of living water" Jesus spoke about (John 7:38).

When a man or woman of God begins to speak under that unction, there is something in their words that is living and able to give life. Just sitting down next to someone with the unction from God can bring an awareness of the presence of God that is indefinable. Conviction comes, healing comes, and salvation comes. Every Christian should be seeking to minister under the unction of God.

Conclusion

Many of our problems exist because we haven't taken authority over the enemy who is constantly working to invade our lives, our homes and our fimilies. You can go to Church every day, respond to every "altar call," counseled over and over, be taught by the greatest Bible teacher and be very spiritual; but until you begin to exercise the unction in your life, you will never enter into an overcoming Christian life with full victory.